The streak is over.
For the first time since 1997, Purdue had no players taken in the NFL draft. That ends a run of 21 drafts in a row that the Boilermakers had a player selected.
The players with the best chances to get picked were quarterback David Blough and safety Jacob Thieneman. But neither heard their name and had to settle for signing a free-agent contract.
Blough told GoldandBlack.com via text as the draft was ending that he will sign with the Cleveland Browns. Thieneman will sign with the New York Giants, he told GoldandBlack.com via text. Tight end Cole Herdman inked with the Ravens. Wideout Terry Wright signed with the Seahawks. Fellow wideout Isaac Zico is still waiting, according to a text message.
Other Boilermakers who should sign free-agent deals are center Kirk Barron, kicker Spencer Evans and running back D.J. Knox.
Blough was hoping to be the first Boilermaker signal-caller to be picked since Curtis Painter went in the sixth round to the Colts in 2009.
Some scouts felt Blough lacked the arm strength to be an NFL quarterback even though he showed throughout his senior season he could execute the down-field passing game Jeff Brohm demands from his signal-callers.
Blough leaves Purdue having made 37 career starts, ranking No. 3 in school history in attempts (1,429), completions (871) and TD tosses (69), while finishing No. 5 in pass yards (9,734). Not bad for a 6-1 signal-caller few big-time programs had interest in coming out of high school in Carrollton, Texas, back in 2014.
Blough also will leave as a beloved figure for how he conducted himself off the field, becoming the face of the program last season when he forged a bond with Purdue super fan Tyler Trent. Blough doesn’t belong in the pantheon of Purdue QB greats, but he was a good player, and a special person. His leadership and example will be missed.
Thieneman enjoyed a storybook career at Purdue, arriving as a walk-on in 2014 and ascending to a team captain and key member of some solid Boilermaker defenses. An engineering major, Thieneman battled back from a shoulder injury and staph infection last year, showing the heart and toughness that had come to define his career.
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